Originally from Liberty, Braden Smith is a near-local to Excelsior Springs and has been a member of our team since March of this year. Braden has proven to be the type of budtender that can blow you away with how much he knows about cannabis and the products on our shelves.

Over the past 7 months Braden has sharpened his skills in multiple areas and has recently accepted a leadership position as Excelsior Springs’ assistant manager. On top of his cannabis career, Braden has been in the National Guard for 5 years and has a side hustle breeding and selling fresh water fish and snails out of 17 aquariums. (If you’re in the market for cichlids, basheers, or plecos, hit Braden up.)

Like many of us, Braden started using cannabis in high school. Cannabis helped him get through social situations that he might not otherwise enjoy along with aiding in his sleep cycle and appetite. As he continued using cannabis in its many varieties and forms, he started to consume strains without referencing information about them first so as to not dampen the experience. This allows him to form his own opinion before being swayed by secondary information which gives him a more genuine first hand experience to pass along to the patients.

Through his experimental mindset Braden has also landed on his personal favorites in each category. He praised Proper and Sinse flower for their quality and consistency and his favorite hash makers are the ever popular Headchange team referencing their affordable top shelf quality and the exciting new products they are able to pump out. When asked what his favorite part of working in the cannabis industry was, Braden referenced witnessing patient improvements. “I really like working with patients and seeing their ability to overcome a lot of the same things that I’ve tried to deal with. Seeing their improvement through cannabis is a beautiful thing.” He went on to explain how important it is to listen to the patient and help them find the right product for the situation they are looking for help with.

Braden’s conversational nature, passion for helping people and his vast product knowledge has turned Braden into a patient favorite.